Cotton cultivator and chopper



(No Model.) A. J. SPAIN 8v S. K'. CHRISTOPHER. SUTTON GULTIVATOR AND GHOPPBR.

Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

` Til-hl FIC- L UNITED STATES ATENT EETCEo VANDREV J. SPAIN AND STARLING K. CHRISTOPHER, OF GAINESVILLE,

' GEORGIA.

COTTON CULTIVATOR AND CHOPPER.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,153, dated February 4, 18961. Application filed November 19, 1895. Serial No. 569,435. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW J. SPAIN and STAELING K. CHRISTOPHER, citizens of the United States, residing at Gainesville, in the county of Hall and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Cotton Oultivator and Chopper and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in cotton-cultivators, and has for its object the providing of a combined cultivator and cotton-chopper by the use of which the labor usually expended in chopping cotton is ref duced to a minimum.

The invention consists of certain novel features and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents inside elevation an ordinary plow provided with my improved cotton-chopper. Fig. 2 represents in side elevation the chopper attachment detached from the plow; Fig. 3, a plan view of the same, and Fig. 4 is aside View of my device slightly modiiied.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the beam, D the handles, and B the standard, of any ordinary plow-stock.

To the standard Bis attached the improved chopper, consisting of the bar or arm E slotted at c to receive the bolt K, which bolt, passing through the standard B, affords an adjustable means for attaching the arm E to the plow-stock. The arm E terminates at its upper end in the handle E', while the lower end is provided with the head e.

Revolubly mounted on the end e of the bar or arm E is the disk F, to the outer face of which disk is attached the plate F2, said plate being provided with the cutting-blades F-. Now the aforesaid disk F performs the twofold function, iirst, of carrying the cutters F', and, secondly, acting as a fender for preventing the young cotton from being covered up by the plow.

In addition to the arm E a second and shorter arm H is provided. This latter arm is bolted to the plow-stock at h and provided with a plurality of bolt-holes h2, the office of the said arm being to hold the arm E in its several positions after being adjusted.

If desired, the arm H may occupy the position shown at H by dotted lines in Fig. l, thus allowing the attachment to be applied to a plow with a shorter standard, and also rendering it possible to use a single bolt b for connecting the plow-beam to the standard and the arm E to both beam and standard. The said arm E is clamped in position by means of the bolt K passing through the slot e.

If it is desired that the chopper be lowered, the bolt K is loosened, the pin 7i' withdrawn and the arm E slid up, when the bolt h is inserted in a higher hole and tightened, after which the bolt K is tightened, clamping the arm E in place.

The operation of the improved attachment is as follows: The plow-point C travels along the furrow, performing its function in the usual manner, while just on the rightin this case, though it is obvious that the attachment can be put on either side of the plowis the disk or wheel F, and being in contact with the ground revolves. As the disk revolves the cutting-blades F are brought in contact with the ground at regular intervals, and as the disk is so situated as to travel along just outside of the cotton-row the blades in successively coming in contact with the ground will obviously cut or chop the young cotton at as many regular intervals; but it is a well-known fact that a great many young cotton-plants are ordinarily covered up and finally lost in the process of plowing, and it is one of the offices of the diskF aforesaid to obviate this. Situated between the plowpoint and the young cotton, it will be readily seen how it will act as a fender between the clods falling from the plow and the young cotton.

It will be obvious that the disk may be` used as a fender and the chopping-blades omitted therefrom, if desired.

Vhile the herein-described invention has been shown in an exceedingly simple form for the 'sake of clearness in the drawings, it is ob- IOO vious that various minor modifications of the same might be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed, and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination with a plow, of an arm adjustably mounted on the stock thereof7 a rotary chopper carried by said arm, and a connecting-arm bolted to the plow-stock and adj ustably connected to the aforesaid arm, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a plow, of an arm provided with a longitudinal slot and adjustably mounted on the stock thereof, a short connecting-arm bolted to the plow-stock and adj ustably connected to the aforesaid arm, a disk rotatably mounted on one end of the said slotted arm, and the cutting-blade mounted on said disk, substantially as described.

3. The combination With a plow of an arm adj ustably mounted on the plow-stock, and a disk journaled in said arm and located at one side of the plow and serving as a fender, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination with a plow of an arm adj ustably mounted on the plow-stock, a disk j ournaled at the lower end of said arm and at one side of the plow and serving` as a fender, and choppingeblades detachably secured to said disk on the side opposite from said plow, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof We affix our signa tures in presence of two Witnesses.

ANDREW J. SPAIN. STARLING K. CHRlSTOPHER.

Witnesses:

W. I. HoBBs, GEO. E. SIMS. 

